Fitter or shaper for glass articles



Nw., E93. J. c. E. SCHWAB M9336 FITTER OR SHAPER FOR GLASS ARTICLES Filed May 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Hazel-Atlas Glass Company,

Wheeling,

W. Va., a corporation of West Virginia Application lMay 9, 1933, serial No. 670,191

i anims. (c1. 49422) i The invention relates particularly to tters or shapers employed in the .truing -or shap-ing of various glass articlessuch as tumblers. The present -invention is particularly adapted to be associated with a re-iinisher or glazer. The glass articles as formed on the press or other forming machine are placed on the conveyer of the glazer either mechanically or by hand, and as thus delivered to the conveyer they are not accurately positioned. Even if the articles were accurately positioned when delivered to the conveyer they might be moved slightly out of true lposition during their passage through the glazer.

It is essential, of course, that each article lassume an exact predetermined position at the instant the fitter operates, and the primary object oi the present invention is to provide a simple and dependable construction which operates contin uously to accurately center or position each article as it approaches the point where the tter comes into; play. f

Other objects and advantages of theinvention Will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; in

which, Y

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, shown in combination with the rear portion of a glazer conveyer which carries the ware from the forming machine through the glazer to the fitter. Parts of the apparatus are broken away and parts are omitted to more clearly show the construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, parts being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the numeral I indicates a base or carriage provided with wheels 2, and on which is mounted the reiinisher or glazer with which the present invention is associated. 1

Mounted on the base I is an upright sleeve or pedestal 3 in which is positioned a post or axle 4 xed to the pedestal against rotation by. a key 5. A sprocket wheel 6 is mounted on the post i and is rotatably supported on ball bearings 'l and 8. This wheel meshes with a sprocket cha'm 9 shown in dotted outline and which is similarly engaged by a driving sprocket wheel at the other end of the apparatus.

The chain 9 propels a. plurality of spindles I0 through a closed circuit, from the forming machine through the glazer and back to the forming machine. Each of the spindles is provided with a ware-supporting disc l I at its upper end,

and needless to say the spindles and their discs are rotated in the usual manner while the glass articles supported thereby are being 'fire-polished.

As the ware-supporting discs approach the rear end of the closed path of travel they bring the 55y glass articles into register with the centering device and iitters, as will now be described.

The fitter heads are referred to by numeral I2, and 'by reference to the drawings it will be noted that in .this particular instancey twelve of these l`0` litter heads lare provided; although the number may be varied in Vdifferent installations. The tter .heads per se are of any desired construction and are :such that when lowered into engagement with themouth ot a tumbler or simil5 lar article, 4the mouth of the article will be at once brought to the required shape. y

Each fitter is carried by a rod I3 which is slidably mounted in a sleeve bearing I4 formed in the peripheral portion of a disc rI5. VThis disc 2O is keyed to a hollow shaft I1 which is continuously rotated by the sprocket wheel 6. I-Ience the tt'ers are travelling at the same speed as 'the ware-'supporting discs. And the paths of travel of the iitter's and the ware-supporting discs 25 are the same during at least that portion of travel where the litters are functioning. The litters and associated parts may be vertically adjusted by any preferred means, as by a ring I8 mounted on 'threads provided on the exterior of 30 the hollow shaft.

The raising and lowering of the ftters I2 is controlled by ia cam I9. This cam is, of course, stationary; and in the particular form' illustrated Vlit is maintained in its xed but adjustable 35 position by being bolted or otherwise secured to a sleeve 2D which is secured to the upper end of the stationary post 4. The upper ends of the rods I3 carry rollers 2| which ride on the surface of the camr I`9. This cam has high and low por- 40 tions, and the contour is such that as each litter aligns vertically with a tumbler the litter moves downwardly by gravity to engage the mouth of the tumbler; the cam having a lowportion at this point. The tter and tumbler now travel together'for the desired distance, and at the proper instant, preferably just before the tumbler or other article reaches the point of discharge, the roller rides up on the high portion of the cam, thereby lifting the iitter from engagement with the article.

For the apparatus to operate efficiently it is necessary that the articles to be tted or shaped be very accurately centered at the instant the fltters are lowered. The device for centering the articles will now be described.

'I'he revolving shaft I1 has iixed thereto a revolving frame 22 provided with radially arranged sleeve bearings 23, corresponding in number and position with the tters I2. Slidably mounted in each of these bearings is a member 24, and these members are urged inwardly by springs 25. The inner ends of the members are provided with rollers 2B which travel about a stationary cam 21 carried by a sleeve 28 loosely mounted on the shaft I1 and held against rotation by any desired means, as by an arm 29 having its inner end iixed to the sleeve and its outer end iixed to the frame of the machine. The contour of the cam 21 is such that the members 24 will be gradually moved outwardly, against the pressure of the springs 25, as they reach the point where the fitters are about to be lowered; and when the tting or shaping operation is completed the cam permits the members to be moved inwardly by the springs 25.

Each member 24 carries an outwardly extending arm 30 attached thereto by any desired means, as by 'bolts 3|. Mounted onv each arm is a rod 32, and the outer ends of these rods carry V-shaped centering elements 33. These rods are adjustable inwardly or outwardlyby means of nuts 34 threaded on the rod at opposite ends of the lugs 35 throughwhich the rods pass. In addition to the centering mechanism described above there is also provided a leaf spring 35 which has one end free and the other end fixed to a bracket 31. It will be apparent that if any articles are positioned so far outwardly on the ware-carrying discs II that they would not be positioned by the centering mechanism, this resilient member will gently move the articles inwardly until they are brought under the control of the centering mechanism.

ForV the purpose of assisting in the removal of al1 of the fitter parts as a unit, I preferably provide an annular plate 38 bolted to the disc I5 and having its inner portion projecting into a channel 39 provided in the sleeve of cam I9.

In the operation of the mechanism, the glass articles are removed from the molds of the forming machine and individually placed upon the discs II, either mechanically or manually. After being operated upon by the re polisher the ware approaches the end of the apparatus on which the fitters or Shapers I2 are mounted. As will be obvious, the iitters are brought over the discs serially as the discs approach the rear end of the machine. But before the iitters are lowered into engagement with the ware it is necessary to accurately center the ware with respect to the tters. Any articles which happen to be on the outer portion of the discs will be moved inwardly by the leaf spring 36, and thus all of the articles will be so positioned on the discs that they will ride between the prongs of the centering members 33, and just before the point is reached where the tters are lowered, the cam 21 moves the centering member outwardly to a point where the article is exactly centered with respect to the fitter. It will be understood, of course, that in handling ware of different diameters the centering members are adjusted inwardly or outwardly by the nuts 34. The article having been accurately centered, the parts are now in a position where the particular iitter reaches the lower portion of the cam I9, whereby the fitter drops by gravity into engagement with the mouth of the tumbler or similar article. The parts now travel together a short distance, and just before the article reaches the point of discharge the cam lifts the fitter free from the article. As the parts continue their movements the cam 21 permits the springs 25 to move the centering members inwardly, where they remain until the continued operation of the machine again brings them into play to center the succeeding articles.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, but obviously many changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A iitter for glassware, including a series of fitter heads, a central shaft about which the fitter heads continuously revolve, a continuously moving conveyer traveling about said shaft as an axis, and bringing formed glass tumblers or the like successively intorposition below the respective fitter heads, means for successively lowering the fitter heads into engagement with only the upper end portions ofthe formed glass articles, the fitter heads and glass articles travelling together momentarily, means for successively lifting the tter heads from the articles, and means for vertically adjusting all of the tter heads simultaneously.

2. A fitter for glassware including a series of iitter heads, a central shaft about which the fitter heads revolve, a conveyor bringing glass articles successively into position below the respective fitter heads, a centering member below each fitter head, and means for successively moving thercentering members radially to center the glass articles with respect to the litter heads.

3. A fitter for glassware including a series of fitter heads, a central shaft about which the fitter heads revolve, a conveyer bringing glass articles successively into position below the respective fitter heads, a centering member below each fitter head, and means forsuccessively moving the centering members outwardly to center the glass articles with respect to the fitter heads. Y

4. A fitter for glass articles including a series of tter heads, a central shaft about which the iitter heads revolve, a conveyer bringing glass articles successively into position below the respectivev fitter heads, a centering member'for each fitter head, and means for successively moving the centering members outwardly across vthe conveyer to center the articles with respect to the fitter heads.

5. A fitter for glass articles including a series Aoi. fitter heads, a central shaft about which the vfitter heads revolve, a conveyer bringing glass articles successively into position below the iitter heads, a centering member having a forked end associated with each tter, and means for successively moving the centering members outwardly to engage and center the articles with Yrespect to the fitter heads.

ciated with each tter, means for successively moving the centering members outwardly to ena centering member having a forked end assogage and center the articles with respect to the fitter heads, and means for adjusting the out- Ward limit of movement of the centering members.

7. A tter for glass articles including a series of fitter heads, a central shaft about which the tter heads revolve, a conveyer bringing articles successively into position below the tter heads,

ciated with each tter, means for moving the articles into the forked ends of the centering members, and means for successively moving the centering members outwardly to center the ar- 5 ticles with respect to the fitter heads.

JOHN C. E. SCHWAB. 

